Some important information regarding ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a menace that has deprived this world of too many good women...including my mother.

From an email I received... (all emphases mine)

Silent But Deadly Cancer Disarmed By Early Detection

Ovarian cancer, long known as the "silent killer" since it was thought to have no symptoms in its earlier, more treatable stages, is not actually so quiet. This is news every woman should hear, loud and clear. A panel of cancer experts and advocacy groups recently identified symptoms they say should serve as early warning signs for ovarian cancer and recommend women who have them longer than two weeks should see their doctor. The goal is to save lives by making sure both women and physicians know signs of the early stages of this deadly disease, since the sooner it is caught the greater likelihood of survival.

I spoke with Barbara Goff, MD, director of gynecologic oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and lead author of several studies on ovarian cancer, to ask about what this new information means. Doctors have long considered ovarian cancer to have vague, hard-to-pin-down symptoms, she said. "Just recently we've been able to distinguish the symptoms of early-stage ovarian cancer from seemingly benign symptoms many women experience from time to time," she told me.

WHAT TO WORRY ABOUT...

The experts recommend that women who have the following symptoms daily or almost daily for more than a few weeks should see their doctor -- preferably a gynecologist:

*Bloating or increased abdominal size.
*Pelvic or abdominal pain -- typically below the navel, on one side or the other and made worse with exercise and intercourse.
*Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly.
*Urinary symptoms, including urgency or frequency.

Before you panic, realize this important point -- you don't have to worry about the bloating that typically accompanies your menstrual period or the indigestion you feel after eating a bowl of chili or too much ice cream. "We all have some of these symptoms from time to time," said Dr. Goff. "But, if there is a symptom that is new for you or it persists for more than a couple of weeks, we recommend you go to your doctor. Odds are it won't be cancer... but it is worth having it checked just in case."

WHY THIS NEWS IS SO IMPORTANT

Contrary to the previously held belief that ovarian cancer only makes its presence known when the disease has reached a late and incurable stage, numerous studies have now confirmed that the symptoms listed above are much more likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer than women in the general population. Researchers finally have enough statistically significant studies that can distinguish the symptoms of ovarian cancer from day-to-day symptoms. "We now have an evidenced-based statement that these symptoms are predictive of ovarian cancer," said Dr. Goff, who is a spokesperson for the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation.

Dr. Goff and her colleagues hope that earlier diagnosis will save more lives from this lethal disease. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer and 15,000 deaths from the disease this year, making it the most deadly female reproductive system cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in women. Overall, about three-quarters of women with ovarian
cancer survive one year after they are diagnosed, and nearly half (45%) survive longer than five years after diagnosis. But that figure soars to 93% when ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated before it has spread outside of the ovary -- though unfortunately, historically it has usually been diagnosed after that point, in which case the chances for survival decrease considerably.

There's no screening test available at present for ovarian cancer, making awareness of symptoms all the more important. The risk factors for ovarian cancer include a personal and/or family history (mother, sister or daughter) of ovarian cancer or cancer of the breast, uterus, colon, or rectum... age over 55... never being pregnant... and taking estrogen alone (not with progesterone) for menopausal hormone therapy. A woman's lifetime chance of developing ovarian and/or breast cancer is greatly increased if she inherits an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene (short for breast cancer one and two). This genetic abnormality can be identified through a genetic screening blood test.

MISDIAGNOSIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM

That the symptoms are so non-specific has meant that many women with early ovarian cancer are told there's nothing wrong or are given wrong diagnoses. "Misdiagnosis of ovarian cancer is common," said Dr. Goff. "One study conducted in 2000 showed that a significant percentage of ovarian cancer patients were wrongly diagnosed with other conditions prior to their diagnosis of ovarian cancer." She said that 12% had been told they had irritable bowel syndrome... 12% were told it was stress... 10% were told nothing was wrong... and 6% were diagnosed with depression. Thirty percent of these women were treated with medication for other diseases -- and all subsequently went on to learn that it was, in fact, ovarian cancer that was causing their symptoms.

WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW

*If you have persistent symptoms, see your doctor. If, for no particular reason, you feel pain in your abdomen, experience bloating or find you are feeling full after eating only a bit, and especially if these symptoms last longer than a couple of weeks, see your doctor -- soon.

He/she will conduct a pelvic and rectal exam and, depending on the results, may order additional tests such as a transvaginal ultrasound or a CA125 blood test, which measures the elevation of an ovarian tumor marker.

*Don't be afraid to get a second opinion. If you feel your doctor hasn't taken you seriously or you aren't confident in the opinion or diagnosis, seek a second opinion, Dr. Goff urges. "People are so worried about insulting their doctor. It's no different than getting a job done in your house. You'd get more than one bid, wouldn't you?"

*If diagnosed with ovarian cancer, seek care from a gynecologic oncologist. Cure rates among women with ovarian cancer are much higher if they are cared for by a gynecologic oncologist (a surgeon who has trained extensively in treating female reproductive cancers), says Dr. Goff.

*Spread awareness, it's critical. Right now, because there is no screening test, awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer remains our first and best opportunity to fight this deadly disease.


Source(s):
Barbara A. Goff, MD, is professor and director of
gynecologic oncology and adjunct professor of surgery at
the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
Her research interests include ovarian cancer and early
detection, complex gynecologic oncology surgery, and
clinical trials for gynecologic malignancies. Dr. Goff is
coauthor of "Development of an ovarian cancer symptom
index," which was published in the January 15, 2007, issue
of the journal Cancer.

It should be noted that my mother was given a "clean bill of health" in November of 1992 (all the while having symptoms of ovarian cancer); only to find out that she was in the incurable stage of ovarian cancer and had only 6 weeks left to live, just two months later in January, 1993.

She beat the odds somewhat with treatment, though she finally succumbed to the disease after a painful battle two years later.

Please read this carefully; don't ignore symptoms, and don't let your doctor or gynecologist ignore them, either!

We need more good women around.

The "No Duh!" Headline of the day:

From USA Today:


Venezuelan leader's power play has echoes of Castro

Gee... Ya think so??

Whatcha gonna do now, Fatboy?

Looks like yet another Haditha Marine will soon be found innocent (all emphases mine):

(U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey) Chessani was charged for dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order. Specifically, prosecutors accuse him of failure to report or investigate the killings of Iraqi civilians, which would be a violation of war by Marines under his command. He faces up to 30 months in prison and dishonorable discharge from the Marines, if convicted.

In a sworn statement in August 2006, Chessani said the killing of civilians was unfortunate but he did not consider the shooting incident to be out of the ordinary or beyond routine combat.

It is a military order that commanders report to their superiors any time their subordinates violate the laws of war.

Chessani reported the incident on the day it happened, but prosecutors claim he did not report it to officials high enough in the chain of command, Rooney said. Further, it happened during combat and thus was not a violation of war, said Rooney.

[SNIP]

"A U.S. Army colonel and an Army general conducted two separate investigations and came to the same conclusion: There was no 'massacre' and no 'cover-up,'" said the law center's president, Richard Thompson, in a statement.

"Yet the government still pursued a multi-million dollar investigation in order to appease an anti-war politician and the blame-America-first media. Now we have the absurd situation of Lt. Col. Chessani being charged with failing to report and investigate a crime that never occurred," Thompson added.

The "anti-war politician" referred to by Thompson is Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.), a retired Marine colonel who became a vocal critic of the Iraq war in 2005.

In May 2006, Murtha said at a Capitol Hill press conference: "There was no firefight. There was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Defense, Murtha wields power over defense spending and that power potentially could influence the investigation and case against Ware, according to the law center.

In addition to Murtha, the law center's legal motions name other officials who supposedly biased the case, including Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) who, in 2006, was chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and vowed to hold hearings on the matter; Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who compared Haditha to the My Lai massacre of Vietnam; and U.S. Navy Secretary Donald Winter, who also made comments that potentially could pre-judge the case, said Rooney.

"They all showed a bias that these men were guilty before an investigation was complete," Rooney told Cybercast News Service .

"It's frustrating to me, as a former Marine, that a lot of reporters, media types, and politicians have the worldview from the 1960s that never changed. They wanted to make this the new My Lai because they have tried from the beginning to make this the new Vietnam," he said.

And so it goes. As has been shown time and time again on this blog, Murtha opened his fat piehole and sold fellow Marines down the river so as to endear himself to those who he thought would give him a ticket to the Majority Leader gig in the U.S. House.

And now the chickens have come home to roost.

Will Murtha now apologize, or will he continue to cut and run from his responsibility in the matter?

A spokesman from Murtha's office could not be reached for comment on this story, nor could a spokesman from Warner's office.

What a freakin' surprise.

NOT!

Gentleman and Statesman, Congressman Henry Hyde, dead at 83...

One of the truly principled men of Congress has passed ad astra...

Story here.

Ha!

That is all.

Twins News...

While Johan Santana and Tori Hunter have been the latest casualties of the high money stakes faced by the Twins in the off season, there may be at least one bright spot:

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins rookie general manager Bill Smith didn't take long to make a head-turning trade.

It just wasn't the deal everyone expected.

With all the focus recently on the Twins listening to offers for ace Johan Santana, Smith instead completed a blockbuster, six-player deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.

The deal sent pitcher Matt Garza, shortstop Jason Bartlett and Minor League pitcher Eduardo Morlan to Tampa in exchange for outfielder Delmon Young, infielder Brendan Harris and outfielder Jason Pridie.

The trade was the first step in the Twins trying to improve an offense which finished in the bottom half of the American League in nearly every offensive category in 2007.

Young, 22, is considered to be one of the up-and-coming hitters currently in the game. The No.1 overall pick in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Young finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting this past season. He played in all 162 games for the Rays in 2007, hitting .288 with 13 home runs and 93 RBIs.

With very few exceptions, the Twins have historically had more than a knack when it comes to discovering and developing young talent into stratospheric super-stardom. This will no doubt be a rebuilding year for the small-market team with a history of building big-market talent, but look for yet another division contender in the making.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst, 11-28-07

Sgt. Antwan L. Walker
22 years old from Tampa, Florida
2nd Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division
May 18, 2005


Sgt. Antwan Walker was excited about coming home from Iraq to celebrate his 23rd birthday with his family and friends. His mother, Andrea Pringle, was busy planning the party when an Army official unexpectedly came to her house.

She said he told her Thursday that her son was killed the previous day by a bomb blast in Ramadi. The Department of Defense hasn't publicly confirmed his death.

Sgt. Antwan Walker, known as Twan to his friends and family, joined the Army in 2000. Pringle said her son joined to earn money for college.

"Twan had a lot of goals in life," She said. "He was very ambitious and very smart."

Sgt. Walker had been in Iraq for about a year. He called his family often but didn't want to talk about war. Instead, he talked about starting a real estate career and his three children.

"He was such a good dad," his mother said. "All he wanted to do was make a good life for his kids."

In April 2005, Walker wanted to talk about the fighting. He told his mother five soldiers he was traveling with were killed. His phone calls became more frequent after that.

Pringle said she had days when she couldn't eat or sleep because of her worries. But she never forgot to give her son her support.

"I always told him I'm proud and be safe".

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

"Non Partisan," "highly ethical" Mark Ritchie?

Mark Ritchie on nonpartisanship:

"Elections must be run in a nonpartisan manner, with all political parties and candidates, including candidates not affiliated with any party, receiving equal treatment. Previous Secretaries of State Arlen Erdahl (R) and Joan Growe (DFL) operated the Office of the Secretary of State in this non-partisan manner, placing the interests of Minnesota voters above their own party’s interests. They were willing to make decisions that were right for the people of Minnesota, even if it hurt their own political party.

Under the current Secretary of State this approach has been abandoned. Decisions are made to benefit one party over others.

I intend to return the Secretary of State’s Office to this nonpartisan tradition by taking the following steps:

• Hiring elections professionals to run and staff the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office. Employees will be hired for their experience, not their political connections. They will have the training and support necessary to accurately and efficiently administer the state’s elections.

• Supporting legislation to prohibit a Secretary of State from serving on the campaign committee of another candidate. This step will help garner the public’s trust that the Secretary is truly able to serve as a fair arbitrator of elections.

• Urging the legislature to address the complications that would be caused by a close election in which an incumbent Secretary of State is a candidate. Clearly, Secretaries of State should not be allowed oversee their own recounts. Instead, the Governor should appoint a disinterested third party to manage the proceedings.

• Eliminating practices that discriminate against smaller political parties and independent candidates.

I will take these and other steps to restore Minnesota’s tradition of nonpartisan election administration. I will get the politics out of the Office of the Secretary of State."

Apparently, Mr. Ritchie's "nonpartisan" agenda didn't include refraining from utilizing State mailing lists for partisan electioneering:(All emphases mine)

ST. PAUL — An investigation into allegations that Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie used a state mailing list for political purposes grew more intense Monday when the state’s legislative auditor said he will seek testimony under oath.

Auditor Jim Nobles said he was taking the rare step in response to a published report last week in which Ritchie acknowledged he was personally involved in giving the list to his campaign, which used it to solicit contributions. Initially, Ritchie said he did not know how his campaign obtained the list.

“If (Ritchie) was not forthcoming, that is a serious matter in and of itself,” Nobles said. “If we cannot confirm the veracity of the statements from him and others in his office we’ll have to take other measures to determine what went on.”

Nobles began looking into the data sharing last month after two Republicans who participated in a civic engagement program sponsored by Ritchie’s office questioned why they were getting electronic mailings from the DFL officeholder’s campaign committee.

On Nov. 9, Ritchie’s legal adviser, Bert Black, told Nobles in a letter that the mailing list was public information and widely distributed, including at the State Fair. Black said that was his understanding of how the directory was obtained by the Ritchie campaign.

Last week, Ritchie told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he personally transferred the contact information from the Secretary of State’s office to his campaign organization. Ritchie made the same acknowledgment in an e-mail to Nobles later the same day.

In what is either a lame excuse, or a case of gross incompetence (after all, Ritchie is the State of Minnesota's Chief Elections Officer), Ritchie's office attempted to plead ignorance on the matter:

“The office of secretary of state takes the matter very seriously and we welcome the additional attention being given to this matter by the legislative auditor,” said John Aiken, Ritchie’s director of communications. “We’re looking forward to receiving their conclusions and implementing any recommendations.”

I wonder if Ritchie's offer to "implement any recommendations" extends to any recommendation that he should step down from his elected office.

Class... vs. no class.

From inviting Teddy Kennedy for movie night, to allowing the democrats to write his education plan, President Bush has bent over backward to enact the "new tone" he set out to implement in Washington.

Say what you want about Bush, but he has been gracious in all things, resorting to criticism of his opponents in only the most dire of situations. Despite attack after virulent attack, President Bush, honoring his office, has again and again taken the high road, not allowing his office to wallow in the pit of hyper-partisan politics.

Such was the case when Bush graciously hosted Al Gore at a gathering today at the White House...
Yes, the very same Al Gore who was the progenitor of this tirade:Yet the very same Al Gore who at one time (in 2002) had this to say:

In a speech February 12, his first major political address since the US Supreme Court stopped a vote count in Florida and handed the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, the Democratic presidential candidate, Al Gore, declared his full support to the Bush administration’s plans for expanded warfare in the Middle East. Gore called for a “final reckoning” with Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

The former vice president spoke in New York City before a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations, the think tank that publishes Foreign Affairs and has long exercised important influence on foreign policy, whether the occupant of the White House was a Democrat or Republican.

Gore specifically solidarized himself with the “axis of evil” rhetoric in Bush’s State of the Union speech. Bush’s bellicose language—particularly his singling out of Iraq, Iran and North Korea—has been widely denounced in Europe and criticized even by several congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel.

“As far as I’m concerned, there really is something to be said for occasionally putting diplomacy aside and laying one’s cards on the table,” Gore said. “There is value in calling evil by its name. One should never underestimate the power of bold words coming from a president of the United States.”

And yes, the same Al Gore who had this to say back in 1992:

While President Bush has remained steadfast in his principle that the world needs to be rid of Islamic Fascism and terrorism in all its forms, democrats like Al Gore, Ted Kennedy and Dhimmi Carter have been doing their level best to play populist politics like a dime-store piano.

Yet President Bush continues to take the high road.

Class-- or no class?

You decide.

Regarding the types of savages we're fighting...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three suspected al Qaeda militants, including two sisters, beheaded their uncle and his wife, forcing the couple's children to watch, Iraqi police said on Friday.

The militants considered that school guard Youssef al-Hayali was an infidel because he did not pray and wore western-style trousers, they told police interrogators after being arrested in Diyala province northwest of Baghdad.

The three cousins executed Hayali and his wife Zeinab Kamel at the all-boys school in Jalawlah in Diyala province, village police chief Captain Ahmed Khalifa said.

No further details were available.

Sunni Arab communities across Iraq have been turning against al Qaeda because of its indiscriminate killings and strict interpretation of Islam, which includes a ban on smoking in public and forcing schoolgirls to wear veils.

Islamofascists, Nazis, Stalinists?

When it all comes down to it, is there really any difference?

Yeah, I know--there are those who say we have no business fighting these cretins.

To them, I politiely say, "Bite me!"

A Day Late... but...

I couldn't pass up this video produced by an internet acquaintance of mine...

Thanks, Randy...



Man... I need to walk that walk.

The Next "Kid Johnny" Lang?

8-year old Quinn Sullivan, performing with Buddy Guy:

Happy Thanksgiving from the Palace!

From my family, to yours... may you experience all the greatest joys that this life and GOD has to offer!

-Leo-

Regarding missing a grim milestone....

No, I'm not talking about deaths in Iraq.

If you'll look on the sidebar of this blog, you'll see a count-up meter on how many days it's been since the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, at the hands of the drunken Senator-for-Life Ted Kennedy...

Looking at it today, I see that just over 14,000 days have passed since that fateful day, along with as many days that justice is yet to be served.

As Ted Kennedy bloviates about waterboarding, deaths in Iraq, and other issues, perhaps it may be germane to focus on the skeletons present in his own closet.

Just a thought.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst, 11/21/2007

Spc. Roger G. Ling 20 years old from Douglaston, New York Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team February 19, 2004 When Spc. Roger G. Ling's Humvee was struck by a homemade bomb in October of 2003, he survived the attack and he worked to keep his superior officer, Lt. Matt Homa, alive. Spc. Ling was riding in the backseat of the Humvee when it was hit. It destroyed Lt. Homa's door. "It almost killed me. From what I've been told, Roger helped keep me awake until my medic arrived." said Lt. Homa. "Ling was a good kid. You could count on him to do anything." Spc. Ling was killed, along with Second Lieutenant Jeffrey C. Graham of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, when their unit came under fire from insurgents in Khalidiyah, Iraq. Only two miles from where he'd survived the attack just four months earlier. Leona Ling said she was grateful her brother came home in August of 2003 just before leaving for Iraq. "He had to have his tonsils taken out," she said. "It was a blessing in disguise because we got to see him again." In phone calls home, the soldier spoke wistfully of returning to New York and going to college. "He wanted to hear about what was going on at home and all the latest family gossip," Leona Ling recalled. Survivors include his father, Wai Ling, a U.S. Army veteran.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Jack Murtha: Moving the Goal Posts?

Things have inarguably been going much better in Iraq since the advent of the surge, and the efforts of our troops have been bearing fruit. But when the victory of his fellow Marines means a political shellacking for Jack Murtha, does he celebrate their successes?

Hell no.

He just moves the goal posts.

Pretty pathetic, no?

Jack Murtha: Bully and Thug?

What does Jack Murtha and his staff do when faced with an opponent who threatens the political machine that he has built up for the last 30 years?

Find out at Murtha Must Go!!

Also, Darryl Sharratt, father of wrongly-accused Haditha Marine Justin Sharratt (and, coincidentally, a constituent of Murtha’s), in a moving exclusive to Murtha Must Go!!, tells of his experiences at the hallowed Flight 93 crash site, and passionately explains what exactly is at stake in this next election.

Now more than ever, it’s time that Murtha Must Go!!

Something for the Anti-Strib Guys...

Just a note that their upcoming Hot Chick Friday will be featured in conjunction with Full Beaver Moon:

November 24 -- Full Beaver Moon

The November full Moon was named the full Beaver Moon, because for both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. (From the Old Farmer's Almanac)

Coincidence?

I think not.

An Ethical Breakthrough in the Stem Cell Debate?

Fr. Thomas Berg explains:

Ever since the debate of embryo-destructive stem-cell research began in earnest in 1998 when researchers at the University of Wisconsin first isolated human embryonic stem cells, we’ve known that the best overall answer to the ethical impasse would be a solution that both allows the search for stem-cell related cures to go foreword, while doing so without harming or destroying embryonic human life in the process.

We now have that solution.

Two major scientific papers published today in Science and Cell offer proof of principle research to show that it is possible to generate patient-matched pluripotent stem cells without human cloning and its attendant moral pitfalls: the need to harvest and use human eggs from female donors and the subsequent destruction of cloned human embryos. Both studies used reprogramming of adult human cells to generate stem cells known as “induced pluripotent state cells” (iPSCs) that have all the properties of human embryonic stem cells.

[SNIP]

Reprogramming takes normal adult body cells — such as skin cells — and sends each cell's nucleus back to a pluripotent state. In other words, the reprogrammed cells would then be capable of producing any tissue type in the human body — essentially equivalent in versatility to human embryonic stem cells. The reprogrammed cells would, furthermore, be genetically matched to the person who donated the original body cells. They could then be used to grow tissues for future use in tissue replacement therapies (everything from regeneration of damaged heart tissue to Parkinson's to spinal-cord injury). A perfect genetic match, these tissues would not be rejected by the donor's immune system. Most importantly, there would be no embryo created, destroyed, damaged or used in any way at any point in the process.

The papers were published by Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, and by James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. A year ago, the journal Cell published Yamanaka’s research in which he reported successes in reprogramming mouse cells by adding four key genes to those cells. His findings were like a shot heard round the stem-cell world. Almost immediately after his work was published, two additional teams of researchers set out to duplicate and, if possible, exceed Yamanaka’s findings.

If the promise of this research comes to its fruition, look for the embryonic stem cell debate to be put to rest once and for all. And look for the pro-death crowd to have coniption fits.

Mind you, they won't display those coniption fits openly; but know this-- they will be in a state of mourning, as another of their strawman arguments for the disposability of human life is about to be turned into ashes.

And for the culture of death crowd, isn't that what it was really all about in the first place?

The beatings will continue until morale improves!

Or at least the taxing will... if Minnesota State Senator Tarryl Clark has her way:

October marks fourth straight month of job losses in Minnesota

On Tuesday, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced Minnesota lost 6,600 jobs in October, the fourth consecutive month of job losses in the state. According to DEED, these new figures reveal that between July and October, Minnesota lost nearly 27,000 jobs.

“Minnesota’s economy continues to struggle, but the governor refuses to do his part to lend a hand,” said Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud. “Each month, Minnesotans are seeing more and more job opportunities disappear. It is imperative that we do whatever we can to jumpstart our state’s economy.”

While this most recent report is particularly troubling, economists in the state are pointing to an even more disturbing long-term trend: Minnesota has fallen behind the rest of the nation in terms of job creation and wage growth.

Over the past 12 months, Minnesota has only grown 2,800 jobs, or a gain of .1 percent. Meanwhile, the nation has experienced a 1.2 percent job gain during the same time period. In 2006, Minnesota fell to 46th in per capita personal income growth, after ranking 5th in the country during the 1990s.

“The governor has opposed the Legislature’s attempt to help create jobs,” said Sen. Clark. “He vetoed the bonding and tax bills, which would have brought thousands of new jobs to the state. He also opposed long-term investments in transportation and education that are critical to starting an economic revival. The transportation bill itself would have created 60,000 jobs.”

Sen. Clark said the Legislature must focus on passing a new bonding bill, a transportation finance package to fix the state’s roads and bridges, as well as a new tax bill aimed at spurring job growth and reducing property taxes soon. Many other strategies to promote growth in the emerging bioscience and renewable-energy industries should be examined, according to Sen. Clark.

“It is not enough to sit back and hope Minnesota’s economy will improve,” said Sen. Clark. “In 2008, the Legislature will again put forward a real vision for improving Minnesota’s economy. We hope the governor will follow our lead in helping to create and retain jobs in our state.

So, Ms. Clark... you will again put forward a real vision??

Just wondering...Is this part of the "vision" you had in mind, Senator?:

Minn. Senate votes to raise income taxes on highest-paid

by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio

March 31, 2007

The Minnesota Senate has approved a nearly $1 billion income tax increase that would make the state's top bracket the highest in the nation. Lawmakers voted 35 to 29 Saturday to pass the DFL-backed measure which also provides funding for public schools, early childhood education and state colleges and universities.

Yeah.. that'll create jobs Tarryl.


Heh. Some vision.

A regular Miss Cleo, you are.

(h/t Gary Gross)

On turning up the heat...

As the myth of anthroprogenic global warming continues to be debunked, the stakeholders of the perpetuation of the global warming fairy tale, knowing full well which side their bread is buttered, are turning up the rhetoric, predicting increasingly dire consequences in frenzied, histrionic efforts to keep the hysteria going.

Look for the rhetoric to continue to escalate, as desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures.

And these are desperate times, indeed.

It's Called Christmas...

A great video:

Hillary Clinton and the Fall of America?

If this does not portend an omen of things to come, what does?



(h/t Blogs for Victo(R)y)

***UPDATE****

Welcome Dr. Sanity Readers, and a hearty thank you to Pat Santy for adding this in her Carnival!

Blogging from my PDA...

Just a note that I'll be out of town til Sunday with no internet access, save for my new Treo 680. Blogging will therefore be light to nonexistent. I've been getting some pretty decent traffic lately (for once) and I just wanted to say thanks to all for stopping by. I'll be back Sunday!

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 11/14/2007

Cpl. Jordan M. Moehnle 21 years old from Los Angeles, California Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6 ("Darkhorse" Battalion) Cpl. Jordan M. Moehnle takes time out of leading his squad in a patrol through Fallujah's Nazaal district to spend some time interacting with local children. Moehnle, who is on his second tour in Iraq, said the changes he has witnessed since he was last here in 2006 have been dramatic. "The city was like the Wild West, we'd put our heads and and drive down (the middle of Fallujah) and hope not to get shot," he said. "Since we've been here (this year), we can stop and shoot the breeze." You can read more here. These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Yes, Virginia, there are Republicans with spines...

Despite the exponentially growing tales of success, there are "the fifth column" of our nation who hope against hope that they can undermine and evince failure of the efforts of our troops and the commanders on the ground in Iraq.

Specifically, Harry Reid continues to choose to completely ignore all the successes made via the efforts of our troops, continuing rather to engage in the rhetoric and propaganda of defeat at all costs. Said Harry "The Undertaker" Reid today,

"We simply cannot buy victory in Iraq. This year has been the bloodiest year in the history of the war."

Of course in that statement Reid refuses to acknowledge that the last few months, largely in part due to the efforts of our troops and their commanders, have produced some of the least number of civilian and military casualties since the war began!

And the willing shills over at CNN Radio News simply parroted Reid's propaganda on their top of the hour newscasts, with no mention of recent and not-so-recent successes.

Earlier this evening, I was at the SD 15 BPOU meeting, where I lamented that I see no Republicans countering the defeatist, seditionist rhetoric coming from Reid and the other traitorous democrat scum that inhabit the hallowed halls of Congress and the Senate.

Thoroughly dejected, I spent the night wondering when someone on the side of victory would come to the defense of our soldiers and their mission.

And then my friend Gary Gross came through and emailed me this tidbit from a floor speech by Senator Cornyn:

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues from Georgia, Senator Chambliss and Senator Isakson, in talking about the news from Iraq. It's important as we discuss the challenges that we still face and that the Iraqi people still face in Iraq to talk about the complete picture.

And unfortunately, while we have heard much of violence in Iraq and the challenges that face us, we have not heard enough about the successes that the American military and our Iraqi allies are meeting with in that country. It wasn't that long ago that the surge that General Petraeus, the counterinsurgency strategy that he is the architect of and which he has executed was called a failure on the floor of the United States Senate.

It's ironic, looking back, that sometimes it's helpful to go back and learn from history. You don't have to go back very far; actually just the summer and the spring of this year when leaders on the other side of the aisle called the surge a failure. And the most ironic part of it is that General Petraeus, who is the commander of the multinational forces in Iraq, at the time said we haven't even started the surge yet. So let me have a few months.

Well, General Petraeus has now had a few months, and the surge has now had an opportunity to make a difference. And in fact, there is much positive news to report. I have to think that the biggest mistake the nay-sayers have made is to bet against the men and women of the United States military. That's always a mistake, because the the American military men and women have demonstrated that they can accomplish the goals that they set out to do, and they are making a tremendous difference in Iraq in eliminating terrorist strongholds as we continue to train the Iraqi military to take our place.

And as I've always said, Mr. President, we all want to bring our troops home. The question is: are we going to bring our troops home based on conditions on the ground and the Iraqis' ability to secure and stabilize their own country or are we going to do it regardless of the consequences in a way that will create the potential for a failed state in Iraq, another terrorist haven, and encourage our sworn enemies in Iran and elsewhere, embolden them to think that America cannot be trusted and America will turn its back on our allies?

Mr. President, in May, one of our senior colleagues said the surge was supposed to bring stability essential to political reconciliation and economic reconstruction. But he said at the time it has not, and it will not. One short month later the Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House in a letter to the President wrote, "as many had foreseen the escalation has failed to produce the intended results. The increase in US forces has had little impact in curbing the violence or fostering political reconciliation."

We even bore witness to atrocious ads run by organizations like moveon.org, slandering General Petraeus before he even had a chance to come here and report on the status of the surge in September. Well, Mr. President, the numbers don't lie. To the dismay of many Americans, some of my colleagues have chosen to conveniently gloss over and try to explain away the progress that's been made by General Petraeus' counterinsurgency strategy.

Far from being a simple increase in troops we learned, General Petraeus' strategy was a new way to attack the enemy in Iraq. That is utilize support from both local Iraqi citizens and tribal leaders to form an offensive against insurgent and terrorist groups. And this strategy has met with a resounding success. It's become a common story but one worth repeating that Al Anbar province, a Sunni strong hold, was virtually overrun and lost to American and Iraqi forces, because Al Qaeda basically had its way with that region, had terrorized the people so much that they would not stand up and fight them, and basically were being held as victims of terror.

Now, the so-called 'Anbar Awakening' has occurred. Tribal leaders have come forward and volunteered their people to serve in the Iraqi police force and the Iraqi security forces, and now Al Anbar province has essentially been rid of organized Al Qaeda strong holds. "The Washington Post" editorial page on October 14 recognized decreasing violence in Iraq and noted that the evidence of a drop in violence in Iraq is becoming hard to dispute.

In September, Iraqi civilian deaths were down 52% from August and 77% from September. The Iraqi health ministry and the associated press reported similar results, and we are thankful that American casualties are down as well. Numbers recently released by the Pentagon corroborate the progress occurring in Iraq. In and around Baghdad, the DOD reports, terrorist operations are down by 59%. Operations targeting Iraqi forces, more than 60%. Car bombs are down by 65%. Casualties due to enemy attacks are down by 77%. And violence during this last Ramadan period was the lowest in three years.

But perhaps the most convincing evidence that things, good things are happening in Iraq is the fact that the Iraqi people are beginning to move back into areas that they had previously left behind, hopeless that peace and security could ever be accomplished. According to recent news reports, even cab drivers are feeling it's safe tore drive around Baghdad neighborhoods where sectarian violence one made it impossible for them to enter.

Perhaps the most telling story of increased security in Baghdad is one told by the Iraqi people themselves. According to an Associated Press article from this past weekend, thousands of Iraqi refugees who previously fled their homes in heir home country. While it's easy for skeptics to doubt numbers and statistics, it is nearly impossible to say not long ago Iraqis living in a foreign country now feel safe enough to come home. this clearly indicates that there are good things happening in Iraq. And around Baghdad. The AP reports that in a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped.

The article goes on to quote one refugee who returned home to his neighborhood of Qadra. In Qadra, he said, about 15 families have returned. He said, "I've called friends and family and told them it's safe to come home." Where there was one widespread fear among Iraqi citizens, we're now seeing something new -- hope. Hope for a better and safer future. Nothing confirms this more than the return of refugees and the testimony that they've given that it is becoming safer in Iraq, while not yet safe.

No one is saying that the job has been completed, but surely an honest, objective appraisal would acknowledge the improvements in the security situation in Iraq as de demonstrated not only by these statistics, by these testimonials from Iraqis themselves. These heart-warming accounts of families reuniting in neighborhoods which not long ago had been written off as hopeless and businesses opening their doors is an important lesson for us all.

This strategy employed by this new commander, General Petraeus, has worked, and it's continuing to work. The efforts of our military men and women who have put their hearts and souls into this mission are now paying dividends and producing results. These security gains are not a fluke. What we're seeing is a direct result of a carefully designed strategy which includes ramped-up counterinsurgency operations, increased efforts to foster cooperation and reconciliation among local tribes and our continued backing of the hard work of the American military and our support for their families.

As we're presented with funding requests by the Pentagon to bring about a stable and peaceful Iraq, we are ensuring that our soldiers have the resources they need to bring peace and stability to a tumultuous land. And my hope, Mr. President, is that we will not use the funding request from the Pentagon for continued support for our troops as another political football, as has been used in the past, particularly in the face of such hopeful and promising news, for which I would expect that we would be grateful and to thank our men and women in uniform and their families who have sacrificed so much to help bring this about, along with our Iraqi allies.

General Petraeus told reporters this past weekend that, in general, we think there are no Al Qaeda strongholds at this point. While he was quick to remind us that they are still a potent threat, his assessment of the progress in Iraq can be nothing but reassuring. Mr. President, I shudder to think of what would have happened had we listened to the nay-sayers months ago who said, we have to withdraw all our troops, even before the surge was able to be fully im implemented. So far, we have voted 59 times on Iraq-related resolutions, most of which are non-binding Sense of the Senate resolutions.

59 times we have voted, even before the surge had a chance to be implemented. Now we see once again what a mistake it is to bet against the men and women of the United States military and thank goodness those resolutions were not successful and thank goodness our American soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, coast guard were able to carry out this new plan under the leadership of General Petraeus, and we now see at least some hope in a land where hope was in short supply.

So, Mr. President, although many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle prejudged the surge strategy and continue to oppose our efforts in Iraq, some of whom call even today for cutting off funds to support our troops, we see now substantial evidence of progress, and it is my continued hope that these positive developments may yet change the tone of the national dialogue on the global war on terror, including the campaign in Iraq.

It's time for all members of this body to take an objective look, not through our political lens, not through a lens which sees only to the next general election, but look objectively at what our troops are accomplishing in Iraq instead of focusing only on the challenges. We should at least be honest enough to acknowledge the accomplishments. Not the least of which are the indisputable gains in security that have been made through their sacrifices. I, for one, am proud to recognize and applaud the undeniable achievements of our troops in Iraq.

Their hard work and their tireless dedication has reminded us that a stable and peaceful Iraq is within reach. It's my fervent hope that my colleagues will join me in acknowledging and honoring the successes achieved by our military personnel and renew their support for them, for their commander, and for the counterinsurgency strategy that is bearing fruit and to always remember their family -- families here at home who wait for their loved one to return as soon as their mission is accomplished.

So, I was happily wrong in my assertion that there are no Republicans with the cajones to stand up for our troops and their mission.

Rather, there is a media cabal that is so hellbent on pushing their agenda that they haven't the balls to present an opposing view that runs counter to their defeat-at-any- cost-so-we-can-crucify-Bush template.

Between the media and the democrats, I feel as if I have ceased being a citizen of America, and am instead a citizen of Wonderland.

The active sedition on the part of not only a critical mass of American citizens but of elected officials sworn to defend the Constitution is getting to be all too surreal.

Where the hell is the looking glass?

New in the Blogosphere

Frequent commenter at Blogs for Victo(R)y (formerly Blogs for Bush) Jeremiah has his own blog, now.

To say that Jeremiah is passionate about what he believes would be an understatement.

Strong in his faith, and nearly equally strong in his conservatism, Jeremiah brings a Christian conscience into today's political scene.

Check out Conservatives United!

A Meal You May Want to Think Twice About Ordering...

Blogs for Victo(R)y

Blogs for Bush is now Blogs for Victo(R)y!

Check it out!

Andy Barnett on Glenn Beck

Here is a Youtube of the appearance on the Glenn Beck Program by Andy Barnett, who was fired a week ago from his job at KNSI in St. Cloud, ostensibly for asking questions of a city council candidate (who lost, thankfully) that made her feel "uncomfortable"




(h/t Chief)

A Veteran's Day Message from Lt. Col. Russell

This guy's a world away from John Murtha...

He's actually got morals...

Vietnam Veterans: Turning the Tide in the War Against Islamic Radicalism.



They come wearing motorcycle leather and business suits. They sport crew cuts and ponytails, some wearing long un-trimmed beards, others clean shaven. They park their Harley’s, Gold Wings, and three wheelers in rows flying the Stars and Strips and the black POW/MIA flags. Many bear scars and tattoos commemorating their service in Vietnam.



They often come to stand guard over the memorial bearing the names of their comrades who fell during the long years of their generation’s war to prevent the anti-war protesters of today’s struggle from defacing it, again.



Upon meeting veterans of the current war against Radical Islam, many of whom are young enough to be their grandsons, they wrap them in bear hugs and say “Welcome Home, Brother.”



They are now the older brothers of our Brotherhood of Arms. These are the men who so many of my generation looked up to as the heroes who were betrayed. They fought an unpopular and ugly war that did have a purpose in the world wide struggle against communism, against an enemy who remained faceless in the jungles of a far off land. But that purpose is so often hidden or disregarded in the movies, history books, and writings since. They bear the unseen scars of coming home from their war only to be welcomed in San Francisco and New York and many college campuses with protests and taunts of “Baby Killer!” and “Murderer.” The anger of having one of the most famous starlets of their generation go to the home of the enemy they were fighting and provide aid and encouragement to that enemy runs deep. The hurt of having one who stood among their ranks for a short period of time, sit before the Congressional Committees and lie about atrocities they did not commit, be rewarded with election to the United States Congress and Senate and a run for the highest office of this land, runs deeper.



The fruits of their spilled blood, lost brethren, and military victories against the communists in the TET Offensive of 1968 (when they effectively destroyed the Viet Cong), the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) led Offensive in 1972 (when they destroyed the offensive capability of the NVA) were lost to the political defeats here at home which led to the fall of Saigon in 1975. The anti-war movement, combined with the fall out of the Watergate scandal led to the election of a strong anti-war Democratic majority in the House and Senate in 1974. Those majorities cut off all funding to the South Vietnamese government and prevented any reinforcement by American forces. The results were the footage of American Marines pushing back the last hopeful refugees atop the US Embassy building in Saigon as the last helicopter headed out to sea, the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese in “re-education camps,” the flotillas of millions of “boat people,” and the murder of millions more in the killing fields of Cambodia.



But once again, the real heroes of that generation are stepping up and are looking out for their little Brothers and Sisters who are fighting in a far off land. They know this enemy here at home and they are watching the backs of their younger siblings. They are not allowing this anti-war movement to go unanswered. They are stepping up to speak the truth about the self described “heroes” of their generation, and prevented one from becoming President. They are standing on street corners near Walter Reed, in West Chester, PA and Berkley, CA to counter Code Pink and other anti-war protesters. They form the core of groups like the Patriot Guard Riders, who ride in processions to welcome home the fallen and protect their families from the most despicable of anti-war protesters who show up at the funerals. The Free Republic “Freepers” stand vigil outside Walter Reed to cheer our Wounded Warriors on Friday nights to let them know the Code Pink protesters across the street do not speak for the people of this nation. The Gathering of Eagles organizes pro-troop counter protests to the anti-war protesters and stand toe to toe with them. Then there are the motorcycle clubs like the Rolling Thunder and the Nam Knights who stand vigil over the memorials to prevent further defacement and insults to their fallen brothers and sisters. And there are the USO volunteers who greet service men and women returning from overseas at airports across the country to let them know they are appreciated.



Their war was lost to the betrayal of so-called peaceniks, who by design or default, played into the hands of the enemy and gave away victory. They will not allow the terrible results of such a betrayal to be visited on their younger Brothers and Sisters. So they come and they stand for them on the National Mall with Gold Star Parents and Spouses among their ranks, where our Soldiers in uniform cannot show up to face down the anarchists, socialists, and misguided angels of the “peace” movement. They welcome us home with cheers, hugs, goody-bags, and tears at Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and Baltimore and so many other airports. They send letters and care packages to our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen at sea and in hostile theaters. They fly the Stars and Stripes proudly and will not stand by idly to watch it burned. Finally, they pray for victory and safe return of the new generations of Warriors. The Veterans of Vietnam are ensuring the safety our nation and its soldiers in the current fight by not allowing this war to be lost at home. As the current generation fights to protect our nation from physical attack, the Vietnam Veterans are engaged in the struggle for our nation’s heart and soul, and they are turning the tide.



Just as my older Brothers in Arms welcomed me and so many of my Brothers and Sisters of my generation home, I want to say to them as individuals and as a group: “Thank you for being home, Brother, and watching over me.”



William T Russell



William Russell is a veteran of the Operation Iraqi Freedom, Desert Storm, and the Pentagon on 9/11. He recently left Active Duty with the Army to run against John Murtha in Pennsylvania. www.williamrussellforcongress.com.

Veteran's Day 2007

(Click to enlarge)

To those who serve, to all who have served, we owe our liberty to YOU!!

To you go my undying thanks and gratitude!

A "Chavez Saturday" Special: Caption this

How 'bout a big cup of SHUT THE HELL UP!@!

Spanish King Juan Carlos puts Hugo Chavez in his place:

Chavez, who called President Bush the "devil" on the floor of the United Nations last year, triggered the exchange by repeatedly referring to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a "fascist."

Aznar, a conservative who was an ally of Bush as prime minister, "is a fascist," Chavez said in a speech at the Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile. "Fascists are not human. A snake is more human."

Spain's current socialist prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, responded during his own allotted time by urging Chavez to be more diplomatic in his words and respect other leaders despite political differences.

"Former President Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people," he said, eliciting applause from the gathered heads of state.

Chavez repeatedly tried to interrupt, but his microphone was off.

And now, for the pièce de resistance:

Spanish King Juan Carlos, seated next to Zapatero, angrily turned to Chavez and said, "Why don't you shut up?"

The Venezuelan leader did not immediately respond, but later used time ceded to him by his close ally Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to answer Zapatero's speech.

"I do not offend by telling the truth," he said. "The Venezuelan government reserves the right to respond to any aggression, anywhere, in any space and in any manner."

What a Maroon!

Regarding Dancing with the Devil...

With each expansion of the nanny state, comes an equal and proportional contraction of our freedoms:

This latest issue of banning Christ for Christmas arose at the Plant City Living Center in Plant City in--where else--Florida. The system moved in on an 85-year-old identified only as Mrs. Arnold. Mrs. Arnold was told that “federal law now prohibits her from displaying anything that references religion--words, decorations and the like--in the common area of her apartment building, a soulless, politically-correct-strapped HUD “facility”.

According to the center, HUD has issued a directive banning “any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas”, which effectively prevents the Mrs. Arnolds of Small Town, America from placing a small Christmas tree outside their humble doors if it contains any religious symbols or words--"even an angel”, as AFA said in a special alert asking for emails.

Why are nameless, well-paid bureaucrats allowed so much latitude designing laws that cannot help but demoralize little people?

The building at the heart of this latest controversy has about 40 one-bedroom apartments for seniors who are at least 62 years old.

If the residents want to have a Christmas party in their community room, they cannot call it a Christmas party. “The Center says HUD directs residents not to use the word ‘Christmas’ but to use the word ‘holiday’,” the AFA advisory said.

Some ‘holiday’ when it’s not cheered by any of your own long-held traditions!

Ladies and gentlemen, the State, when held up as god, is a jealous god, and it shall have no other gods before it.

Not even the Real One.

I find it all the more oxymoronic that people on the left who call themselves Christians, are so willing to sell their religious freedom to embrace the false promises and sour milk that flow from the golden calf that is the government teat.

In the absence of the acceptance of God, man himself attempts to fill the void to become that which he rejects.

With predictably disastrous consequences, I might add.

And unfortunately, those who choose to ignore history are bound and determined to drag the rest of us along on their path toward its insidious repetition.

Dark Helmet can teach us a lot about U.S. energy policy

"So whadda we got? A cuisinart?"

Gas prices are hitting $3.19 per gallon around these parts right now.

The "peak driving season," known for its relationship to high gas prices, is long past.

Yet oil is not only flirting with $100 per barrel prices, it's practically got its hand up her skirt, and its ever-skyrocketing prices will inevitably tank our economy.

China, in its booming economy, is poised to overtake the United States as the world's largest consumer of energy, by 2010, to be exact.

How is China handling its energy needs?

Read this, from here:

To combat higher oil prices, the Chinese are turning increasingly to coal. They plan to build 500 more coal-fired power stations, adding to some 2,000, older plants that spew smoke, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. The situation is so far out of control that Beijing only recently discovered that Inner Mongolia had built without permission 10 new power plants totaling 8.6 gigawatts. Chinese coal output has doubled in the past five years. China is on course to overtake the US by 2009 as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide.

So China, understanding that its exponentially booming economy will require equally exponentially increasing amounts of energy to sustain, is actually creating the infrastructure to deal with upcoming demands....

And what about us?

Well, that's where we get this lesson from Dark Helmet:

So, what do we have?

Face it. Our economy, one that is necessarily driven by the availability of cost-effective energy, cannot long sustain itself in light of increasingly prohibitive energy costs. Given our current course of complacency and inaction in kowtowing to the pseudo scientific religion of extreme environmentalism, we are hellbent on a path to share the fates of Greece, Rome, Great Britain, and other once great, but now also-ran civilizations and nations.

The shame of it all, is that it doesn't have to be that way!

The only thing keeping us on the decline on our road to hell is the "good intentions" paved by our nation's leftists .

To fulfill their needs, China's coal-power plants and refinery starts are at the at the rate of approximately one every two days.

And what are we doing? Putting up windmills and burning our food supplies, while in the meantime slipping technologically and economically back into the dark ages.

When will we, as a nation, finally acquire the politically-incorrect gonads to tell the envirowhacko lobby to kiss off, put America first, and exploit and develop our own standing reservoirs of energy?

Those who say that we must abandon our pursuit of and current stores of energy in favor of developing something new are off in la-la-land. We can't afford to put our economy on hold for the next 20- to 30-some odd years until a novel source of energy comes on line.

This policy of sitting on what we have so as not to anger the enviro-whacko left is pure suicide, from both an economic standpoint as well as in terms of our national security.

But the decline of these United States is inevitable only if it is allowed to be thusly engineered.

Folks--We are Americans, and we have more than a cuisinart!

We have a brain trust over 300,000,000 strong; a people that with a history of even fewer numbers have done wonders given the entrepreneurial spirit powered by a free society.

Within three years of the advent of our venture into World War II, we were able to build one of the world's most powerful war machines, practically from scratch.

Within the space of less than a decade, we, the United States, were able to go from simple orbital satellites to sending humans to the moon!

Much to the amazement of many, we do have the ability to walk and chew gum at the same time!

We can tap current traditional sources of energy (we have, at the very least, another 50 years reserve) while simultaneously researching and developing new technologies.

Turn loose the dogs of our war on mediocrity, and let us not go quietly into that good night!

Give us a vision, and get the hell out of our way!

When such is the case, I can assure you that our best days will be ahead of us, not behind us!

The Sorry State of Civics Instruction...

Is borne out in this video:


Welcome Dr. Sanity Readers!

Please click here and take a look around!

Word to illegal immigrants:

Any Questions?

A Fine MOB member passes ad astra

Paul Kuettel, owner of MOB-Member Wog's Blog, has passed away from liver disease.

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Kuettel on a number of occasions; and he always struck me as being a down-to-earth, salt-of-the earth type of guy.

His writing, both prophetic and touching:

I have been pondering fate of late.

Tiny little confluences of innocent actions magnified by circumstances can really make a difference in a life, to say the very least.

I finished 2nd for a Fullbright Scholarship to Germany. The Fate of it was that I was an early loser in the new game of Affirmitive Action. My teacher/mentor/sponsor told me as much. They needed more women although I ranked better.

Instead I started a business and a family. Seemed like a good twist of Fate.

To save a long story, my Fate has twisted like a deadly tornado. Sometimes it's hard to appreciate all the good turns in favor of dwelling on the foundation ripping furies.

I'm not sure why I put this stuff up for all the world to read. Ego? Reaching out? Looking for sympathy? Maybe a combination of the three.

It's hard to live in a world of hurt all by oneself.

Thanks for your understanding and if you have any sort of Faith, put a good word into your Higher Power for me. God knows I need it.

Cheers, always

Cheers, always, Paul.

You will be missed.

Ben at Hammerswing has a good tribute to Paul.

Makes me proud to be French...

And President Sarkozy isn't a bad guy, either.

One score and seven years ago...

From here:

Reagan Easily Beats Carter; Republicans Gain in Congress
By HEDRICK SMITH

Published: November 5, 1980

Ronald Wilson Reagan, riding a tide of economic discontent against Jimmy Carter and promising ''to put America back to work again,'' was elected the nation's 40th President yesterday with a sweep of surprising victories in the East, South and the crucial battlegrounds of the Middle West.

At 69 years of age, the former California Governor became the oldest person ever elected to the White House. He built a stunning electoral landslide by taking away Mr. Carter's Southern base, smashing his expected strength in the East, and taking command of the Middle West, which both sides had designated as the main testing ground. The entire West was his, as expected.

Mr. Carter, who labored hard for a comeback re-election victory similar to that of Harry S. Truman in 1948, instead became the first elected incumbent President since Herbert Hoover in 1932 to go down to defeat at the polls.

Concession by Carter

Despite pre-election polls that had forecast a fairly close election, the rout was so pervasive and so quickly apparent that Mr. Carter made the earliest concession statement of a major Presidential candidate since 1904 when Alton B. Parker bowed to Theodore Roosevelt.

At 9:50 P.M., Mr. Carter appeared with his wife, Rosalynn, before supporters at the ballroom of the Sheraton Washington Hotel and disclosed that an hour earlier he had telephoned Mr. Reagan to concede and to pledge cooperation for the transition to new leadership.

''The people of the United States have made their choice and, of course, I accept that decision,'' he said. ''I can't stand here tonight and say it doesn't hurt.''

At a celebration in the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, Mr. Reagan claimed his victory and said: ''There's never been a more humbling moment in my life. I give you my sacred oath that I will do my utmost to justify your faith.''

And the rest, shall we say, is histoire.

Winston Churchill on Islam... In 1899!

WINSTON CHURCHILL ON ISLAM - IN 1899!

"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries!

Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity.

The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities - but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it.

No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."

-Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899).